Main navigation

Draft Hillary Clinton 2012: The Meme Shall Never Die

If there is one thing the Republican Party knows how to do, it’s making misleading and election altering robo-calls. The most recent entrance in the GOP Hall of Robo-call Fame comes from an anonymous phone call that has come through in major swing states calling on voters to sign a petition to draft Hillary Clinton to run for president in 2012.

The calls, which conspicuously don’t mention Barack Obama by name, touch upon themes that rile up his often frustrated base, namely compromises with the GOP and the struggling economy. All recipients of the call are encouraged to go to the draft Hillary website which gives them a chance to sign a petition that will be handed to the current Secretary of State. The site itself is of incredible low quality and simplicity – it looks like something that any bored housewife could’ve made on Word Press on a lazy afternoon.

Moreover the site lists an amazing array of things that never would’ve happened if we had a ‘fighter’ in the White House instead of a “Lecturer in Chief.” According to the draft Hillary site:

1. A plan to reduce global warming would have passed with investments in upgrading the national electricity transmission grid to deliver wind and solar energy throughout America. And, millions would be employed right now on this critical effort.

2. Instead of the cry of Beltway “gridlock” there would be the clarifying call for national progress through strong leadership.

3. Instead of academic discussions about “post-partisanship” there would be calls to action. We would not have lost the House in 2010.

4. Peace and prosperity would reign across America, Dog and Cats would be living together in harmony, Ice cream cones would never melt in the summer and the Cleveland Browns would win the Super Bowl.

Okay you got me … I made up the second one. The fantasies expressed by this site would be even more hilarious if it weren’t for the fact that esteemed “journalists” and “consultants” have been trying to make the same arguments for almost three years now.

However, those with more sober minds would likely recognize that the rise of the Tea Party would have happened with a Hillary Clinton presidency, as well, because it was as much about the fissures in the GOP as it was about facing the possibility of an 8-year Democratic presidency. Hillary supporting analysts like to say that she has more of that Kobe Bryant Killer Instinct than Obama, and that Hillary wouldn’t have negotiated and capitulated to Republicans as much as the president has.

On that level I might agree. But, funny thing about Hillary and Kobe for that matter, they’re incredibly talented but lousy teammates who can’t get along with anybody after a couple of months. Hillary Clinton (whose relationship with her own party leadership during the 2008 election was as bad – if not worse – as Obama’s is with Democrats in Congress now) likely would not have any better chance of passing legislation than Obama.

Whatever Republican operative set up these calls (and you know that is who’s behind them) is just a touch too late for the political zeitgeist of 2012. A year ago, before the Republican field made their debut and right after the mid-term shellacking there were plenty of calls for Obama to step aside and let Hillary run.

However, on the eve of the 2012 elections for anyone who is actually bothering to vote it’s not about Obama versus the imaginary Clinton presidency part 2 – it’s about Barack Obama versus whomever the Republican nominee will be. Any die hard Hillary Clinton supporters out there still pining away for her imaginary presidency dropped off the Obama bandwagon three years ago.

Like this:

Primary Sidebar

MSNBC Contributor

Find Me On Social

Follow me on Twitter

Footer

About Jason Johnson

Dr. Jason Johnson is a professor, political analyst and public speaker. Fresh, unflappable, objective, he is known for his ability to break down stories with wit and candor. Johnson is the author the book Political Consultants and Campaigns: One Day to Sell, a tenured professor in the School of Global Journalism & Communication at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland and Politics Editor at TheRoot.com. Dr. Johnson has an extensive public speaking and media background ranging from … [Read More...] about About Jason Johnson